Elma vs Isabel
Elma and Isabelcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Elma was ranked #862 and Isabel #59 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Elma was ranked #1406 and Isabel #169 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Elma was ranked #288 and Isabel #320 among girls in Norway.
Elma and Isabel over time
Elma and Isabel appear together in 3 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Isabel held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Elma in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Isabel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Elma in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elma and Isabel changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1971 and 2008, ending at #862 and #59.
List by list
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1981–2025
Elma held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Isabel in 24.
Highest recorded here: Elma #224 in 2022, Isabel #93 in 2012.
The order changed in 2025: Elma moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #314 and #240; by 2025 that had become #288 and #320.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elma #288, Isabel #320.
England and Wales · Girls22 shared years, 1999–2024
Elma held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Isabel in 22.
Highest recorded here: Elma #1406 in 2024, Isabel #45 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elma #1406, Isabel #169.
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1971–2008
Elma held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Isabel in 9.
Highest recorded here: Elma #347 in 1983, Isabel #59 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Elma #862, Isabel #59.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Elma | Isabel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #288 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #127 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Isabel.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Elma
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #417 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #224 among girls in Norway, in 2022 (recorded 1981–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #288 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Isabel
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #422 among girls in Norway in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #45 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #320 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls